How to use MonimpSV (auto import service) Version 2.12

Topic creation date: 2008-08-04

What is MonimpSv

MonimpSv is a windows service (see What is a service application) that can also run as a console application to import client, job or matter code, employee, disbursement and activity records or files from an external or third party accounting system into the MonTel Master Client database. Being able to run as a Windows NT server service is especially useful, because it can run with out requiring that a computer user be logged into the console.

MonimpSV works by starting and then pausing waiting until the service is either 'un paused' (continued) by user interaction or until a certain amount of time has gone by or a certain time of day has just been passed. At which time it will then import all the relevant files that it can find into the Master Client Database. The service does not do an import when first started unless one of those things is true.

How to install MonimpSv

For information on how to install MonimpSV, see: How to install and run various MonTel 'Windows Service' based applications.

How to use Monimpsv

MonimpSV takes its settings from the PMA.INI file and from the [AutoImport] section of the PABX.INI file. It uses a filter file (a MIF file) as specified with InportFilterName which does the data gathering and translation into the common format used and saved by Monimpsv into the Master Client database.

The import data presumably exported from the practise management accounting (PMA) system or from another cost recovery system, such as Monitor Business Machines. This import data may be in a text file or some other file based format, or direct from an SQL or other on line system. The mechanism and the methods is determined by the MIF file. There may be more than one type of MIF file to handle different formats of input from the same system.

MonimpSv settings can be found in the [AutoImport] section of the PABX.INI file in the MonTel application directory. Additional settings that may be specific to the type of external system being imported are found in the PMA.INI file. The one duplicate setting is a safety first requiring both to be set for activation of the destructive overwrite of users in the PABX.INI file.

AutoImportServiceComputerName, AutoImportServiceLoginName, AutoImportPipeTextOut and AutoImportPipeInstances are settings that if not used default to the similar settings in the [program] section. These would need to be set only if the computer that was running monimpsv was not the same one as running the other services.

To start an import, either 'un-pause' manually or set AutoImportTime to a time in a day when MonimpSV will 'un-pause' or continue and export any unposted records, or set AutoImportFrequency to the number of seconds between imports.

If AutoImportFrequency is set to a value greater than 0, then if AutoImportRoundFrequency is set to 1 it will round the period specified to the nearest whole period. So that an import every hour will take place at the top of the hour rather than at an hour from when it was last imported (or started).

The other settings depend on the type of import and the system being imported.

MonimpSV does not use the settings in the AutoImport section of the PABX.INI file that start with "Server".

PMA settings

The PMA settings are in the PMA.INI file, and both MonimpSv and the MIF file will use the settings in the Import section of the PMA.INI file to control aspects of its import.

Using monimp to add and delete users from the PABX.INI file

This is potentially a dangerous thing to do, as the PABX.INI file is the heart and sole of the MonTel system. So, for extra protection you need to enable both AutoImportAllowDestructiveIniUpdate in the PABX.INI file and ImportDestructiveUpdateOfUsersInIniFile in the PMA.INI by setting them to 1, before this will work. And even then the filter (or the '.mif' file) needs to be able to import user information from the PMA or external system.

When both of these settings are 1, and the filter will import users then when the users are imported from a filter, monimpsv will overwrite the user entries of the PABX.INI file with the user data that it imports from the external system. It will overwrite, that is delete all existing users save the first users as identified by their license slot, up to the number specified by ImportNumberOfUsersToRetainInIniFile. Each user is identified by their license slot. So, in the example shown above, USER1, USER2 and USER3 will be retained and not overwritten by monimpsv. In the event that no users are imported only these three would remain. ImportNumberOfUsersToRetainInIniFile is useful to specify users who should have an AdministratorOn or ReceptionOn setting, or users who would not otherwise appear in the external system, such as the network Administrator. The default is 1 which by default would be the system installer, and is therefore likely to be a MonTel Administrator.

To allow duplicate entries in PABX.INI but not in the employees table of the Master Client database then set ImportIgnoreDuplicateEmployeeLogin = 1. When set to 1 the second occurrence of user with the same login name is ignored, even if the primary key or the employee code is different.

This setting might be used in a situation when ImportDestructiveUpdateOfUsersInIniFile = 1 and the PABX.INI file is being updated with users who have more than one extension or vice vera, while not intending to add a additional users to the Master Client Database. Multiple users with the same login name in the Master Client database is problematic, as users will be prompted to login and identify them selves to MonTel every time they run the client. The default is 0.

Import Filters

Import filters are loaded by Monimpsv to interface to a specific external system. Filteres are specified by the ImportFilterName and have a file extension of '.mif'.